The word Hone means to perfect. For us, it isn’t just a name, it is a pillar that we aim to run our company around. One of the ways that we try to pull this off is by collaborating with Inbound Marketers, Sales Gurus, veteran business owners, and influencers that understand how the B2B Buyer’s Journey is evolving. Running a successful marketing campaign can be overwhelming. Ranging anywhere from writing a relevant B2B blog to a case study that will get company advocates excited about your solutions, there are many steps that have to be taken in consideration before your campaign will be successful. With all these complications, why over-complicate the Buyer’s Journey?

The ultimate goal of marketing is to have a deep understanding of the consumer and market. Being able to navigate both efficiently and effectively will yield successful results in your marketing campaign.

Step 1: Identify Challenges

Every buyer’s journey begins with identifying a challenge/problem that needs solving. This could range from issues with a specific product to new trends. Businesses typically know and can identify needs that their business-to-business customers and prospects have and how their products/services will benefit them.

Step 2: Solve Problems

When you’ve identified the problem that the B2B buyer is having, you need to develop processes to solve the issue. This could look like searching for products and services that will fix the problem. This step is also a great way to look at multiple options while utilizing the best results to fit your needs. In this phase of the buying process, the consumer would benefit greatly from interacting with your sales team about the product/service. Free demos, trials, and samples would also be appropriate in this phase to provide as much value as possible. Buyers are always more attracted to incentives, so keep that in mind when trying not to be too aggressive.

Step 3: Product/Service Selection

When all of the appropriate information has been evaluated, it is time for the buyer to choose which product or service they want and place an order. This can be the most cautious time during a sale, as you don’t want things to go wrong. It is a common misconception that a sale is over when the order is placed, but buyer’s remorse/regret is a common occurrence and your team needs to be ready to reassure the customer that their purchase was worth it.

Step 4: Evaluating for the Future

The evaluation process is super simple for sales teams that have done a good job during Steps 1-3. In the future, a b2b buyer will be able to look at past feedback and how successful past purchases have been. By understanding the B2B Buyer’s Journey and offering impeccable customer service, your marketing and sales teams will reap more success. Customer loyalty is more easily acquired with a solid understanding of how buyers make their purchases.

Let us know in the comments how these steps have helped you understand Buyer Behavior.